Child&#39;s amusement vehicle



Dec. 4, 1962 R. v. ROBERTS 3,066,935

CHILD'S AMUSEMENT VEHICLE Filed June 1'7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 EN F1 2 ROBERT Ro r rs BY WWW 6M JWM ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1962 Filed June 17, 1960 R. V. RQBERTS CHILD'S AMUSEMENT VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT V. ROBERTS BY {aria/ml, zflmdswwuw ATTORNEYS trite States This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and more particularly to a playground type of amusement device.

Conventional merry-go-rounds usually are power operated and provide a somewhat passive or nonparticipating type of entertainment. The devices which require more activity of the users and in which the users move in a generally circular path, usually require pumping, pulling or running motions of the users. Moreover, many of these cannot be used by less than two persons and frequently the weights of the two or more persons must be equal or, at least, balanced by the placement or spacing of the persons using the apparatus. "Finally, conventional devices need supplementation from time to time with new and unusual apparatus for the interest they attract. This is particularly important where the apparatus is employed to produce income such as in amusement parks.

it is accordingly a general object of this invention to provide a novel amusement device.

it is a further object of this invention to provide an amusement device of a generally rotating nature requiring no motorization.

it is a still further object of this invention to provide a device of the above nature usable by one person or by several persons of unequal sizes and weights.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an amusement device of a generally rotating nature wherein rotation and acceleration is obtained by a timely leaning motion of the riders.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an amusement device of the above character requiring a minimal instruction of the riders to get satisfactory results.

it is a still further object of this invention to provide an amusement vehicle adaptable to a variety of sizes and capacities and to portability.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an amusement vehicle requiring no skill to operate enjoyably.

This invention includes in its scope a base assembly supporting a platform consisting of a plurality of arms and rotating about a fixed axis at a slight angle from the vertical. At the outer ends of the arms are seating units pivotally mounted on the arms whereby a rider can shift his weight inwardly and outwardly with respect to the center of the platform in timely fashion, thus inducing rotation of the platform by the combined effects of gravity and conservation of energy.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical embodiment of this invention with portions of the arms of the rotating platform omitted for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing two seating units and their alternate positions with respect to the arms of the platform.

MG. 3 is a side elevation of the fork and seating unit of the typical embodiment shown in the preceding figures.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a base assembly 11 having a pair of similar legs 12 and 13 joined with a third leg 14 at a bearing box assembly (not shown in FIG. 1). Each of the legs has a foot 16 attached to the end of the leg remote from the bearing box assembly, affording sufficient area for the assembly to be supported by a relatively soft surface, such as a grassy plot.

dfihbfidli Patented Dec. 4, 1&62

An alternate construction for units of a large size may be to provide feet adapted to be fastened to concrete piers embedded in the ground.

An arcuate member 17 is fastened to the legs 12 and 13 and provides a support for the lower cam 18 Whose function will become apparent as the description proceeds. The leg 14 supports an upper cam 19 for purposes as will be described. The base assembly 11 supports at its center a hub 21 to which there is fastened a plurality of outwardly extending arms 22, 31, 32 and 33. At the outer extremity of the arm 22 is a rocket-shaped seating compartment 23 having an open cockpit 24 with a seat therein comprising the seating portion 26 and the seat back 27. The nose of the rocket is designated by reference numeral 28 and the rocket has a plurality of decorative fins, one of which, designated by reference numeral 29, can be particularly useful as a step to assist in climbing into and out of the rocket.

An additional rocket 34 is shown at the outer extremity of the arm 32, but at the outer extremities of the arms 31 and 33, rockets are omitted in the interest of clarity of illustration. While four arms are shown and the preferred embodiment would have four arms, this invention may be practiced with any number of arms and seating units or with as few as one arm and seating unit, if desired.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the bearing box assembly 36 in which the post 38 is supported by means of bearings carried in the bearing holder 37. The hub is bolted to the post 38 by means of the bolts 39. The seating unit 23 is shown supported by an actuator support 51 which is pivotally supported around a shaft or bolt d2. An actuator post 43 extending from the bottom of the actuator support 41 has an anti-friction bearing fastened adjacent its lower end and coaxially therewith. This bearing 44 is normally a ball bearing. The rocket is shown in one of its two positions with respect to the pivot 42, and the dotted line 46 indicates the other of the two positions. A rocket is also shown a 47. The dotted line at i8 indicates the alternate position of rocket 47 at the bottom of the plane of'rotation of the platform. The limits between which the rockets may pivot about the axis 42 are established by means of bars 49 which are fixed to the arms 22 and 32 providing stops.

FIG. 3 shows in more detail the nature of the actuator supports 41. They are normally in the form of a generally V-shaped fork having the two branches 51 and 52 converging toward the junction at the actuator post 43. The branches are supported by the arm 22 through the spacer shaft 54 operating in the bushing 56 which is welded or otherwise affixed to the arm 22. The spacer shaft 54 is held in position with respect to the branches 51 and 52 by means of the bolt 42. Suitable bosses for the bolt 42 are provided by the outer spacer 53. It should be noted at this point that other means of fastening the actuator supports to the arms 22 may be desirable and this is only an illustration of one manner of connection.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the rocket 23 would be rigidly fastened to the actuator supports at the two branches 5i and 52. As an alternate construction it may be desirable to have the rocket pivoted or rotatably mounted to the branches 51 and 52.

The operation of the invention may be most readily appreciated by taking, for example, the one seated unit and describing the sequence of events. The rider in the unit would begin with the rocket at the uppermost point obtainable in the circle of rotation of the rocket about the axis of the hub. He would also have his rocket tilted outwardly to the position designated by the reference numeral 64 in FIG. 2. His weight would then carry him around to the lowest point in the circle of rotation of the rocket, whereupon the bearing 44 adjacent the end of the actuator post 43 would engage the cam 18. Upon engaging the cam 18 the bearing would be thrust outwardly and the rocket and rider thrown inwardly toward the center of rotation to the position designated by reference numeral 48. The rocket would then continue around the circuit to the uppermost point of the circle of rotation, whereupon the bearing 44 would strike the cam surface of cam 19 and be thrust inwardly, throwing the rocket and its rider from the position designated by reference numeral 23 to the position of the dotted outline 46. At this time the cycle would be repeated.

In order to maintain the rotation of the rocket the rider leans outwardly at the top and inwardly at the bottom. To obtain the best operation and acceleration of the unit, he should reverse his leaning action as soon as he feels the bearing strike a cam. The magnitude of the angle between vertical and the axis of rotation of the outwardly extending arms of the platform affects the acceleration and deceleration during rotation of the unit. The normally employed angle of is somewhat slower than, for example, a 7 angle. The rockets are shown merely as one desirable type of seating unit and, of course, many other variations of seating units can be employed.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An amusement vehicle of the character described and comprising: a base; a hub rotatably supported by said base to rotate about an inclined axis; at least one arm affixed to said hub and extending radially outwardly from said hub, said arm being rotatable about said inclined axis; pivotal connecting means on said arm adjacent the distal end thereof and thereby movable about said inclined axis in an inclined plane perpendicular to said inclined axis; an actuator unit pivotally connected to said connecting means, thereby providing a pivotal connection between said actuator unit and said arm, said pivotal connection having a pivot axis in said plane perpendicular to said inclined axis, said pivot axis being perpendicular to a radius from said inclined axis, said actuator unit having an actuator post; cam follower means on said actuator post; a. first cam affixed to "said base on the side of the inclined axis which is the low side of said inclined plane, said cam having a cam surface facing outwardly from said inclined axis and adapted to move said follower means outwardly from said inclined axis, said first cam being located at a distance with respect to said inclined axis for engageable relation with the follower means on said actuator post; a second cam atfixed to said base on the side of said inclined axis which is the high side of said inclined plane, said second cam having a cam surface facing inwardly toward said inclined axis and adapted to move said follower means inwardly toward said inclined axis, said second cam being located at a distance with respect 'to said inclined axis for engageable relation with said follower means on said actuator post; a passenger carrier mounted on said actuator unit above said pivotal connecting means and said actuator post, with said pivotal connecting means being located between said passenger carrier and said actuator post, said passenger carrier being sized to allow a passenger to lean outwardly and inwardly during rotation about said inclined axis whereby the cams and timely leaning action of the passenger control rotation of the passenger carrier about said inclined axis.

2. An amusement vehicle of the character described and comprising: a base member including legs in tripod arrangement; anti-friction bearings having a bearing axis and supported by said base member in a first inclined plane whereby said bearing axis is inclined; a hub rotatably supported by said bearings for rotation about said axis in a second inclined plane; a platform having a plurality of arms affixed to said hub and extending radially outwardly from said hub, said arms being rotatable in said second plane; generally V-shaped actuator forks each said fork having branches converging generally to a junction, said forks being pivotally connected to said arms adjacent the distal ends of said arms and adjacent the junctions of branches of said forks, said arms being disposed between the branches of said forks, said forks having an actuator post extending away from said junction in a direction opposite the direction of divergence of said branches; an anti-friction bearing mounted adjacent the distal end of each of said posts and coaxially with said post; a first cam affixed to said base member on the side of the inclined bearing axis which is the low side of said inclined planes, said cam having a cam surface facing outwardly from said inclined bearing axis and located at a distance with respect to said inclined bearing axis for engageable relation with said antifriction bearings mounted on said actuator post to move said bearings outwardly from said inclined bearing axis; a second cam aflixed to said base member on the side of said inclined bearing axis which is the high side of said inclined planes, said second cam having a cam surface facing inwardly toward said inclined bearing axis and located at a distance with respect to said axis for engageable relation with said anti-friction bearings on said actuator posts to move said bearings inwardly toward said axis; seats mounted on said forks toward the distal ends thereof and facing substantially tangentially to a circle about said inclined bearing axis and sized to allow an occupant of a seat to lean outwardly and inwardly during rotation about said inclined bearing axis whereby the cams and timely leaning action of the occupant control rotation of the seats about said inclined bearing axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,310 Patterson Feb. 18, 1908 2,638,345 Norvell May 12, 1953 2,676,801 Eyerly Apr. 27, 1954 2,862,710 Lewis Dec. 2, 1958 2,874,513 Connell Feb. 24, 1959 2,895,735 Bartlett July 21, 1959 

